Oh I’m with you on that score. Slightly less dramatic, but I spoke to somebody at a call centre on Friday re pet insurance for my one remaining aged labrador, Monty, aged 12. The guy was very nice, but his first language obviously wasn’t English and I swear on my life he was trained by Max Headroom. Remember him? It was all I could do not to dissolve into fits of giggles every time he spoke.
(slight aside here - anybody looking for pet insurance don’t ever, EVER use E&L. Even with valid claims they take upwards of 4 months to pay out. Shocking).
On the node clearance I had a big slice at the base of my armpit and another one one my boob - I guess that’s the difference.
I had 2 slices - one on boob and one side of axilla - where bra comes down the side of boob so rubs like hell or could do…Blackjack - we’ve got em covered all the way them baddies, they won’t last for long and then me and you both will be onto chemo road - as I’m suspecting mine might be delayed too but we’ll see - prob just as well as gennie says in the longrun of things, but us girlies set our sights on something and thats it, we’re in control and off tackling it to the floor - not quite as quickly as before the tasty pancakes n pie from The Old One - cheers Val - they sure go down a treat…mary x
Is it ok to admit to thinking Max Headroom was sexy? Erk. Maybe I shouldn’t be so open…
That’s it Mary, as Sal and Gen said, better to be healed. I mentioned before, spots, nicks, cuts, they don’t heal while the drug’s in you and for a few days into week 2. Not a good idea if you’ve got a big surgery thing still going on. You’ll get there in the end. It’s a long haul not a short cut, but I totally hear you about setting your sights on something. I’ve got 21 July in my sights (last chemo dose), and I have to keep remembering it’s a long way off and delays could happen. Particularly huge slices of pie that keep you weighted down in front of the stove. Hope The Old One’s got a ton of lard and a crow bar for greasing us down and pushing us through the door when we get stuck! And the Storm Riders waddle off down main street…
Hey BlackJack thats really bad news about your chemo. Im sure the delay won be too long, in the meantime tuck into some of those bluberry pancakes the olde ones making. You cant beat a bit of comfort eating.
Gen, Carole, glad everything went well with your bloods today and we’ll be keeping an eye on you Carole during round two. If you need us for support just hollow. BlackJack will saddle up the horses and we’ll ride out to tackle the baddies.
I cant wait to get to the olde ones but as the saying goes, rome wasn’t built in a day. we’re all going to arrive there at some point. Especially now we’re being tempted by pancakes.
Sal, you sound like your doing really well but don’t over do it too much. Get your other half to pamper you a bit and rest up. Have they said how long before you’ll get results?
Kitten, when do you find out what your next treatment is?
Wishin my rifle arm was good and healed so i could help out with all these bad guys plaguing us, but I won’t get back to sharp-shootin for a while yet. I’ll just have to be content with cursin’ em from a distance, I guess.
Had been wondering why no pain in boob/axilla yet, so thanks for the warning, gals. Going for check-up and drain removal this morning, then results appt is next Wed (25th) - gulp.
Has anyone heard from Marionf yet? Her op was due day after after mine, ie Fri 13th, but have not spotted any postings yet - hope you’re doing okay, Marion!
Mornin’ chickabiddies,some of you sure are in a hard place just now.These delays between chemos can be hell.In all our treatments the waiting for one reason or another is always the worst part.I had no delays during chemo but after my final one the dreaded neutropenia rattlesnake got me and I was laid low for a while.But hey-it passes-we saddle up and ride on.Desert sunsets and firelight,guitars playing and people singing are part of our Storm Rider sisterhood.If there is an ambush there will be a rescue,if someone hurts there will be comfort.I can see that dust cloud on the horizon and I think some of you are almost in sight.No looking back till you are here.
Love, The Old One
Curse away Calamity, we need all the help we can get with those pesky baddies. Like The Old One says, some of the girls are entering a bad phase and need all the support you can muster. Your shooting arm should feel better once the drain is taken out, hope its gone ok today.
How you holding up Mule? Hows your leg Old One?
Thinking about you today Steel, hope all goes well.
Well thanks for asking about my old leg.The sawbones put a new hinged cast on it yesterday and it is a pesky nuisance,very heavy and ugly with big metal hinges sticking out at the sides.However I can now bend it a little and have been told to try to put a little weight on it[scary stuff].So I may be leaning over the porch as the last of you ride in.
My girl’s baby is due any time now and I’m very excited and very cheesed off at being stuck here instead of helping her.
The Old Onex
Ooof, sounds like a hefty weight you have attached there Val. However, a new baby! Wow! That will put the sun in the sky for you for a while. Best wishes to your daughter.
Calam, a good cussin’ can send some mighty effective vibes their way, so keep it up!
Well that’s dose 2 into me (this is a repeat from another thread - just wanted to pass on the Hazard Warning in both places, so don’t feel like you’re second hand or anything, ;). Different nurse, different experience. First she managed to miss the vein and tried shoving the needle through my hand instead. Yeeoouch! Then she put the Epi in too fast so I was getting a back up in the hand, and needed a hot pack on the arm to loosen the vein off again. And of course, too fast…not enough saline. I spotted it once my hand was getting achey and told her to slow it up, and that helped. However, I still have a more concentrated dose in me and am definitely feeling the effects quicker, and slightly nauseous. At least now I know to take more control over the process next time and do some directing if I feel it’s needed, the two points being at needle insertion and then drug delivery. Basically, that’s today’s handy hint. Don’t sit back and relax, watch like a hawk!
Gen, I think the reason you felt worse than me is more to do with the fact that you had more nodes and a bigger lump removed, rather than me being fitter. The pain is starting to kick in at times - makes me jump. I’m feeling a bit woozy and tired today. Had to go to bed for a kip this afternoon. My work colleagues sent me a pile of trashy magazines that they know I never read and I can’t believe I’ve just spent an hour languishing in bed reading one of them! Quite entertaining in a “what a bunch of idiots these celebs are” kind of way.
Everyone keeps talking about drains, but I don’t have any. When the bc nurse was changing my dressing on Friday, I said I was surprised at that and she said it was normal. They must do things differently here or something? I’ve got two wounds too. Bigger than expected really. The surgeon said he would try to keep the one on my boob small, but it looks quite big to me. Results on Friday 27th.
Old One, you’ll soon have a soft and cuddly weight to carry, to even out that weight on your leg. Wonderful! Makes you realise that there’s good stuff happening out there too. Can we all have a cuddle when we come to bunk down? The baby - not you. Although you can have a cuddle if you want!
Carole, not such a good day for you today. But I’m glad you’re keeping them there deputies in order. You sound like an old hand already!
On the call centre tack, I had a great conversation about 18 months ago when we moved house. We were trying to sort out broadband (a six week nightmare) and were having major problems. Rang the call centre and told them even though we had done all we had been told to do, we still had no connection. I was told I should look on the website for more information. DOH!!!
How are you doing Blackjack? We’re all thinking of you and I think we’ve got that varmint cornered.
Oh blimey, you kind of expect them to know what they’re doing really don’t you? It being their JOB and all!!! Well I’ll make sure I watch out for that. Have you thought of asking for a port yourself or are your veins usually pretty easily found?
When I was talking to the blood test lady yesterday and telling her how much jabbing about I usually end up with, whereas she was just straight in there no messing, she said she couldn’t understand why people have so much trouble finding veins. She rarely has a problem. There must be an art to it, but you’d think chemo nurses would be pretty skilled wouldn’t you?!
Got confirmation today that the health insurance is approved, so it’s just a case of somebody letting me know when Healthcare at Home are coming out. Apparently all of my chemo (including drugs for side effects) and rads are covered, but tamoxifen won’t be so I’ll have to sneak back to the NHS for that. Ah well, I’ll have saved the NHS a fortune in the meantime.
I hope the nausea passes Steel - take it easy, I’ve got enough leeway this week to help give those evil baddies a beating if you start to flag.
That’s great Gen, it must be a relief to know that you’ll be at home when you get your chemo. I filled in my exemption certificate claim form when I was at the GPs last week and I think that starts on 1st April, so you shouldn’t have to pay for your Tamoxifen either.
Sal - I didn’t have drains either. It seems to be down to Consultant’s personal preference. Of the 6 people operated on when I was in, the 3 who were on my Consultant’s list didn’t have drains and the 3 who were on the other guy’s list did. I’m not sure if it makes a difference - I do wonder if I’d have had the problem I had with the exploding heamatoma if I’d had drains but then I guess I might since it built up over several days post op.
Try not to do too much too soon. I think there’s an element of post op euphoria in the first few days, then when things start to settle it can be a bit more sore. I’m trying out bio oil on my armpit scar to see if it helps as it’s just a neat red line now so I’ll let you know if it seems to reduce it at all.
Funnily enough - the scar on my boob looked huge immediately post op and ran sort of diagonally from nipple to outside edge, so it was almost horizontal. Now it’s all settled down the scar is much smaller (couple of inches max) and is vertical. Most odd.
I’m going all gooey at the thought of babies Old One. I’m definitely done with having my own, but I do love the smell and feel of a nice cuddle with a little baby. Very therapeutic too - i reckon we’ll all be queueing up for cuddles and blueberry pancakes.
Never fear, Steel is made of tough stuff. I’m just avoiding thinking about ships and horizons, or car journeys with bad drivers. Plus drinking so much I’m spending more time in the room in the back than anywhere else.
I didn’t get drains either Sal, and I have also indulged in some celeb watching while lying around. The things you never knew went on in the world. Well I never. Keep up with those kips. If you need them, you need them. I have a nice, neat, patted herself on the back kind of scar (the surgeon that is), but it’s about 3.5 inches long and leaves a dent, as well as a different nip placement. Maybe they have a different definition of small and neat. If you don’t collapse into it and disappear as if into a black hole, it’s small.
Lol - know exactly what you mean about the broadband call centres. Every time! How many brain cells does it need to think that one out. One more than they obviously have.
I thought about asking for a port, but my veins are excellent, obvious, and there was no problem last time. I had a kind of psychic hunch. As soon as I saw this nurse I just knew this wasn’t going to go well, and as soon as the needle burst the skin I knew she’d got it wrong. Thinking that grabbing her hand and yanking the needle out myself might not go down too well, I just told her she hadn’t done it right and to start again. Lovely person, and the second jab in another vein was perfect. I’ll just have to keep an eye on her if I get her again. Heck, I’ll do it myself. Oh look, there’s a big fat vein, here’s a little needle, apply the concept of parallel as opposed to perpendicular, and voila, in it goes. Next apply the concept of watch the saline and use it all up… I’m being a bit hard on her. It’s in and doing the job, and that’s two down. Look, I’m smiling
Good news on the insurance Gen. How is the port settling in? And Old Leaky (the wound)?
Beer’s on the bar Blackjack, if you want to sit down and go over the day.
Old Leaky has almost stopped. What a saga that has been! I get the tiniest bit of ooze but not enough to need dressings or anything. The sides of the scar where it was open have now come together so I reckon a few more days will have it fully closed. The port is still a bit sore, but getting better - actually it’s the area where the tube starts at my neck that has hurt most, the port itself isn’t too bad.
I’ve sat and read OK magazine today - not my usual type of reading material, but I bought it yesterday for the wait between bloods and Onc appointment. I do like a bit of celeb gossip I must say - it’s chewing gum for the brain isn’t it? No effort required and it makes you feel as if your life is actually quite good when you read about the tribulations of the likes of Kerry Katatonic. ;o)
well no chemo for me today. sat for 4 bum numbing hours to be told that. i knew from reaction to breast yesterday it wasnt gonna happen. they drained another 170ml out which has eased it a bit but still swollen and sore. wound is one straight line from armpit down and is healing really well. have to take antibios again even though they dont think its an infection. so app for the chemo next tues.
circle the wagons gals, we gotts hold them baddies off, they are just sneaky enough to try and ambush us before we make it through to lightning pass. theres safety in numbers so we gonna have to work together to outwit them.
I’m a Hello girl myself. Better class of sycophants in that one, and not too much bitching about cellulite. And there’s always the chance of a good giggle at whatever get up Victoria Beckham thinks she looks elegant in this week!
That bum numbing is the worst Martina. But that’s good news they’ve only delayed it a week. Wow, I thought they were really going to take some sniper shots at you there. Blackjack’s scowl and that slight adjustment of the coat back from the holster must have made them think again.
Sal, I slept for a week after my op and reckon it did me the world of good. On the drain front I had two. Thats why I was in hosp so long, they wouldn’t let me home untill they weren’t filling up so quick. What a pain they were too. I have two scars. One that goes half way round my boob 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock possition but very neat and a small, about 1.5inch, just below auxila.
Carole, sorry you had a hard time today. Hopefully next time you’ll get the sheriff instead of a deputy.
Great news about the insurance Gen, must be a weight off your mind. I must say I can’t be doing with all those celeb mags but then again I have never been much of a reader. I occasionally read the odd weekly but thats usually for the reciepies becausse I enjoy cooking and like to try differant things.
A little bambino wow!! Am first in the queue for cuddles once we get to the old ones. Will it be your first grand child Val/ I bet you can’t wait.
Not looking forward to my tatoo’s tomorrow. Find it very difficult to stay in same possition for more than a few mins. Bit of a fidgit.
I read somewhere they will give you breaks if it’s getting too much. I’d think you just let them know how long you can hold the pose before they start.
Dont worry about the tattoos they are tiny.Mine were marked with a felt tip by onc first then I didnt have to hold still for long.The rads themselves are very quick-less than 5 minutes a time.
Grandchildren?Weeeeelllll this will be number 9!!
I have 2 grown up kids[34 and 38]and 3 stepkids[36,38 and 39].they are all married,all have kids.When Tom and I married we put together 5 teenagers 13-18.His first wife went off with a younger man leaving the kids with him and I was widowed at 41.We now have 4 grandsons and 4 granddaughters.We dont know what the baby is.It is my own daughters 2nd child.She is the youngest of the 5 and the only one who lives near us[15min drive].My son lives in Turkey and my stepdaughter in Canada.So there you go,the OLd Ones potted history.There will be lots of cyber cuddles on offer when baby comes.
The Old Onexx
